Optimize Your SEO Strategy for Voice Search

In an ever-advancing, high-tech world, speaking to a machine has become a norm. Siri and Alexa, for example, have become very familiar names. As a matter of fact, by 2022, 55% of households are expected to own a smart speaker. Voice searching via smart devices offers a convenience and amusement that typing cannot match.

An SEO Refresher

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a strategic procedure to increase both the quantity and quality of traffic that goes into your website. This is the act of directing traffic to a website by improving factors such as content, keywords, HTML, and website visibility to those who are searching. This method creates organic, unpaid site views by making the website more relevant to a specific search.

Enhancing Content

When searching the web via voice search, the search itself becomes more conversational as opposed to when typing. Verbal searches begin to question, “where is the closest pet store”, rather than typing out “pet store near me”. As a result of this search alteration, two main steps must occur. Regarding voice searches, you must run through all of the potential search words and phrases a curious browser might ask. After this, shift to generating content for those potential questions and conversational keywords/phrases. This a good initial tactic for increasing visibility and page clicks for voice searches. To reiterate, it is crucial to integrate logical and beneficial keywords to place your website in the top search results.

Securing a top position, such as a Featured Snippet Box, or “Position Zero”, is the ideal position of any website. This is the outlined, top box on a search page that your AI’s voice will read back to you after voice searching. Focus on a strong schema markup (a code you put on the website to help search engines deliver more relevant and informative results to users) to increase the likelihood your website is in this space. This innovative way to tackle SEO can be further explained at www.schema.org.

Prepare for Local Queries

As aforementioned, voice searches are primarily local. You can utilize this data to your advantage by making a few updates to ensure your business is listed within the top results. Make your business easy to find! Build your website footer and Google My Business listing to contain all of your business’ location/contact information and hours of operation. Choose categories that are very specific to your business. Additionally, include your area code in your business’ phone number. Keywords are vital for a voice search such as “café in Dalton, MA”, whereas “café near me” refers more so to Google My Business features.

Still unsure what keywords to use throughout your website? Let’s talk.